NBC Sports' second round coverage of 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs is best on record

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Through Sunday, May 6, viewership for NBC Sports' coverage of the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the best on record and up 19 percent vs. last year, averaging a total audience delivery (TAD) of 1.547 million viewers across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. In addition, the TAD for the entire 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues to be the best in six years, and is up 10 percent vs. 2017.

This year's second round TAD of 1.547 million viewers exceeds the viewership for all previous complete second rounds, but does not yet include Monday night's two game 6s or Thursday night's upcoming Game 7, which will boost viewership even higher.

The 2018 second round has been highlighted by Game 5 of the Pittsburgh-Washington series on Saturday night, which immediately followed coverage of the Kentucky Derby. The game averaged a TAD of 4.314 million viewers, making it the second-most watched early round Stanley Cup Playoff game on record.

Monday night's two Game 6s on NBCSN generated overnight rating increases vs. 2017 and local ratings milestones. The series-clinching Washington-Pittsburgh Game 6 delivered a 1.73 overnight rating, NBCSN's second-best overnight for a second round game - excluding Game 7s - and up 14 percent vs. the comparable game last year. Nashville-Winnipeg produced a 1.04 overnight, up 55 percent vs. last year's second round average for late games.

Nashville delivered a 12.2 local rating, the best early round cable game ever in the market. Pittsburgh produced a 24.5 rating, the market's second-best rating for a second round game on NBCSN, while Washington, D.C., delivered a 7.7. NBCSN was the No. 1 network in all three markets during their respective games.

Through the fourth Sunday of the playoffs (May 6), TAD for 63 games across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, Golf Channel, USA Network, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app has averaged 1.036 million viewers, the best since 2012 (1.126 million viewers), up 10 percent from last year (941,000), and up 15 percent vs. 2016 (900,000).

Through the first 63 games of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, live streaming coverage has set records for uniques (2.2 million; up 77 percent), total live minutes (342 million; up 31 percent), and average minute audience (31,500 viewers; up 48 percent).

Following are the Top 10 local markets through the fourth Sunday of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs: